How To Plan A Treasure Hunt

For your next party or get together, plan a treasure hunt to let young and old alike in on the fun. Treasure hunts can be exciting and move a party to the next level. When party goers don't know each other well, a treasure hunt is a great way to group up individuals so they can get to know one another. The competitiveness of a treasure hunt will bring out the people who will do anything to win and let them showcase their abilities. Kids love treasure hunts too, so plan one for a birthday party to make the day extra fun.

To plan a treasure hunt, you will need:

• Hidden treasures
• List of treasures
• Bags to hold treasures

Steps

1. Make a list of treasures. A popular type of treasure hunt is where the treasure hunters are given a list and they go around the neighborhood asking for items from a preassigned list made by the host of the party. For this type of treasure hunt, ordinary household items are listed such as an empty cottage cheese container with lid, a sticky note, a piece of blue ribbon, a pair of chopsticks, a book of matches, a burnt out light bulb, an empty paper towel roll, and so on. Add a hard-to-find item so the chances are not everyone will find each item, such as a brick or a picture of a chicken. List enough items that no one will find them all in the time allotted.
2. Pair up the treasure hunters. Match people who don't know each other well so they can meet each other and learn more about each other while working together on the treasure hunt.
3. Hand out the list. Give the list of treasures to the treasure hunters. Fold the papers so no peaking is allowed until everyone is given the "go" signal.
4. Hand out bags. Give each group one bag to hold all of the treasures. Plastic grocery bags or reusable grocery bags will work.
5. Give a time limit. To make sure the treasure hunt is fair, give a time limit of 15 to 30 minutes so the treasure hunt moves along and everyone has an equal chance to find the treasures. Let treasure hunters know that they must return to a designated spot before the time is up or they will be disqualified.
6. Return items if needed. Make sure treasure hunters ask if they can keep the items or if the people want any of the items back.